Skip to 0 minutes and 4 secondsNEIL BAILEY: Everybody's had that experience of having to try and solve a problem creatively in the moment, but not really being able to focus on it because they're worried about something that happened yesterday, or something that's going to happen tomorrow. The worry about tomorrow or yesterday, that's actually increased default mode network, so that's associated with rumination. That network's associated with habitual thought patterns. In contrast, focusing on the moment activates the attentional network, and the attentional network is associated with improved cognitive performance. So mindfulness meditation can reduce the activity of the default mode network, shift it towards the attentional network, and help us focus on the moment and think creatively to solve a problem right now.

The attentional network, creativity and cognitive performance

Watch Neil talk about the impact of mindfulness meditation on the brain and how the activation of the attentional network can improve creativity and problem solving.